US deportation flights to Venezuela resume following weeks-long standoff
Deportation flights to Venezuela resumed on Sunday after a weeks-long standoff between the Trump administration and the Venezuelan government, signaling a deal had been reached between the two countries. A flight carrying 199 illegal aliens – including members of the violent Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang – to Venezuela landed Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital. The Trump administration has vowed to strike a deal with the Venezuelan government to accept flights carrying deportees from the United States, but has been limited in the regularity of the transfers after President Nicholás Maduro halted the flights earlier this month – with only four flights being received by the Venezuelan government since Trump was sworn into office. VENEZUELA TO RESUME ACCEPTING US DEPORTATION FLIGHTS Maduro refused to receive the flights after Trump announced that the U.S. would terminate the Biden-era permit allowing Chevron to export Venezuelan oil, effectively closing off a major revenue source for the country. However, Venezuelan officials have confirmed that a deal was reached on Saturday. “Venezuela reports that, within the framework of the Return to the Homeland Plan and with the goal of returning our compatriots to their nation with the safeguarding of their human rights, we have agreed with the U.S. government to resume the repatriation of Venezuelan migrants with an initial flight tomorrow, Sunday, March 23,” Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s Assembly and chief negotiator with the U.S., said in a statement posted to X by the network Telesur. Flight-tracking data shows a plane operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) departed El Paso and was scheduled to land at Soto Cano air base in Honduras Sunday afternoon. A second plane operated by Venezuelan state airline Conviasa was set to land at the air base within an hour of ICE’s arrival, seemingly for a handoff between officials. WH MAY REVERSE DECISION TO KILL BIDEN-MADURO OIL DEAL, APPLY TARIFFS INSTEAD TO AVOID HURTING US FIRMS The deal comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed that Venezuela would face “severe, and escalating sanctions” if the country continued to refuse to accept its citizens that had faced deportation. “Venezuela is obligated to accept its repatriated citizens from the U.S. This is not an issue for debate or negotiation,” Rubio posted to X. “Nor does it merit any reward. Unless the Maduro regime accepts a consistent flow of deportation flights, without further excuses or delays, the U.S. will impose new, severe, and escalating sanctions.” The Trump administration did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. In recent weeks, approximately 350 migrants have been deported to Venezuela, including roughly 180 individuals who had been detained at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Last week, the Trump administration flew over 200 Venezuelan migrants to a high-security prison in El Salvador in coordination with President Nayib Bukele, despite a federal judge’s order temporarily blocking the deportations. “Migrating is not a crime, and we will not rest until we achieve the return of all those who require it and until we rescue our brothers kidnapped in El Salvador,” Rodríguez said. Madura also went on to denounce the flights, referring to the Venezuelans being detained in El Salvador as “kidnapped” on Saturday. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP In an interview with Fox News Radio, Rubio thanked Bukele for his country’s acceptance of the migrants. “Venezuela should be taking them, but they refuse to take them,” Rubio said. “And so, we are fortunate to have a friend like President Bukele who, as part of my meeting with him, said we will take them for a fraction of what it costs you guys to house them in your own prison system.” Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Noem to visit El Salvador prison that took in hundred of deported criminals: ‘Clear message’
FIRST ON FOX: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is planning to visit several spots in Central America next week – including El Salvador’s Terrorism Confinement Center, where hundreds of migrant criminals were famously deported last week. On Sunday, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that Noem’s trip “underscores the importance of our partner countries to help remove violent criminal illegal aliens from the United States.” “President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message for criminal aliens considering entering America illegally: don’t even think about it,” McLaughlin said. “If you come to our country and break our laws, we will hunt you down, and lock you up.” Noem’s visit will kick off with a stop at the Terrorist Confinement Center on Mar. 26, which she will tour with the Salvadoran Minister of Justice, Héctor Gustavo Villatoro. The Trump administration official will meet with President Nayib Bukele later that day. EL SALVADOR PRESIDENT RIPS FBI TRUMP RAID, QUESTIONS WHAT US GOV’T WOULD SAY IF HIS POLICE TARGETED CANDIDATES On Mar. 27, Noem plans to visit Colombia to meet with President Gustavo Petro and the Colombian National Police (CNP)’s specialized group aimed at countering organized crime. The former South Dakota governor will wrap up her trip in Mexico on Mar. 28, where she’ll convene with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The visit will come over a week after El Salvador released gritty footage of hundreds of illegal aliens being deported and rounded up into jail cells last weekend. The video showed the alleged gang members with their heads in their hands, as heavily-armed Salvadoran authorities surrounded them and transported them into facilities one by one. A senior Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News that a total of 261 illegal aliens were deported to El Salvador on Mar. 15. The majority of them were deported via the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which allows for the expulsion of an enemy nation’s natives and citizens without a hearing. 101 of the migrants were Venezuelans removed via Title 8, while 21 others were Salvadoran MS-13 gang members, the official added. Two were MS-13 ringleaders and “special cases” for El Salvador. RUBIO HEADS TO PANAMA, LATIN AMERICA TO PURSUE TRUMP’S ‘GOLDEN AGE’ AGENDA The rap sheets for those removed included aggravated assault, robbery, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a child, prostitution, and aggravated assault of a police officer. Bukele, a Trump ally, wrote that the deportation flights will help Salvadoran authorities “help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors.” “As always, we continue advancing in the fight against organized crime,” he added. “But this time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action. May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States.” In a Mar. 16 post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump wrote that the U.S. “will not forget” Bukele’s partnership, and thanked the leader for his “understanding of this horrible situation, which was allowed to happen to the United States because of incompetent Democrat leadership.” “These are the monsters sent into our Country by Crooked Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats,” Trump wrote. “How dare they!”
Sen Bernie Sanders names 2 things Trump has done right
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he approves of President Donald Trump’s handling of fentanyl and border security. “I mean, I think cracking down on fentanyl, making sure our borders are stronger,” Sanders told ABC’s Jonathan Karl during a pre-taped segment that aired on Sunday’s “This Week.” “Look, nobody thinks illegal immigration is appropriate,” Sanders said. “And I happen to think we need comprehensive immigration reform, but I don’t think that it’s appropriate for people to be coming across the border illegally. So we’ve got to work now on comprehensive immigration reform.” Sanders’ stance seems to be a departure from his 2020 presidential campaign platform, where he supported “breaking up” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection and pausing deportations pending an audit. He also supported stopping the border wall, ending the “Remain in Mexico” policy, decriminalizing illegal immigration by making it a civil infraction, and ending previous limits on federal funding for sanctuary cities. BERNIE SANDERS GETS UP DURING INTERVIEW AFTER ‘NONSENSE’ QUESTION ABOUT AOC Sanders told ABC that if Trump deports “20 million people who are in this country who are undocumented,” he would “destroy the entire country.” “Because I got news for you: Trump’s billionaire friends are not going to pick the crops in California that feed us,” Sanders said. “They’re not going to work in meat-packing houses. That’s what undocumented people are doing. So we need a variety of programs, guest worker programs, but mostly comprehensive immigration reform.” SEN. SANDERS TARGETS TRUMP, MUSK AND DEMOCRATS IN WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW AHEAD OF RALLY WITH AOC Karl told Sanders that illegal immigration “exploded under Biden.” To that, the senator responded, “Should have done much better, no argument.” Sanders has been conducting a “Fighting Oligarchy Tour.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., joined him this past week for five events in Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “No matter who you voted for in the past, no matter if you know all the right words to say, no matter your race, religion, gender identity or status,” Ocasio-Cortez said to thousands at a rally at Arizona State University, “no matter even if you disagree with me on a few things, if you are willing to fight for someone you don’t know, you are welcome here.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Obama calls to expand ObamaCare ‘with everything going on right now’
Former President Barack Obama said that his signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, should be expanded in future years, arguing that the ACA should be seen as a “first step” to better healthcare. “We’re not finished yet,” Obama said in a video promoting the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago next year. “I’ve always said that the ACA is like a starter house, it was a big step forward, but still just a first step. Now it’s up to all of us to keep building on and improving the ACA.” The former president’s video was posted on X, where Obama captioned the post by arguing that people should “keep fighting for progress.” FLASHBACK: THEN-PRESIDENT OBAMA URGED MAKING ‘TOUGH DECISIONS’ TO CUT GOVERNMENT SPENDING “I know it can feel like a different era sometimes. But 15 years ago, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Now nearly 50 million people have received healthcare through the ACA,” Obama said. “With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a difference – but the Affordable Care Act is a reminder that change is possible when we keep fighting for progress.” Despite the Obama plea, an expansion of the ACA, which was often dubbed “ObamaCare,” seems unlikely under the leadership of President Donald Trump. OBAMA CENTER SUBCONTRACTOR FILES $40M DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AGAINST ENGINEERING FIRM FOR OVERRUNS Trump, who replaced Obama in the White House after winning the 2016 election, made a push to repeal the legislation in 2017, an effort that ultimately fell short in the Senate. Trump once again targeted the ACA with his landmark “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” legislation of 2017, which was passed into law and contained a provision that eliminated the ACA’s controversial individual mandate. Nevertheless, Obama signaled optimism that Americans could work together to build off the legislation he ushered into existence in 2010. “If it could happen 15 years ago, it can happen again,” Obama said. “The ACA taught us that some things are bigger than politics.”
Waltz tells Iran to give up nuclear program or ‘there will be consequences’
The Trump administration is calling on Iran to give up its entire nuclear program or face the consequences, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Sunday. Waltz said it was time for Iran to “walk away completely” from its pursuit of nuclear weapons, pushing for a “full dismantlement” during an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “This isn’t some kind of, you know, kind of tit-for-tat that we had under the Obama administration or Biden,” Waltz said. “This is the full program. Give it up or there will be consequences.” Waltz did not specify what kind of consequences Iran could face, though he said President Donald Trump is keeping “all options on the table,” including diplomacy. IRAN’S LEADER WARNS US COULD RECEIVE ‘SEVERE SLAPS’ FOLLOWING TRUMP’S THREATS TO HOUTHIS Waltz said the Trump administration wants Iran to give up its nuclear program “in a way that the entire world can see.” “If [Iran] had nuclear weapons, the entire Middle East would explode in an arms race,” he said. “That is completely unacceptable to our national security. I won’t get into what the back-and-forth has been, but Iran is in the worst place it has been from its own national security since 1979.” Tensions between Tehran and Washington have been high since Iran’s proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, launched attacks on Israel in the past few years. Iran directly traded fire with Israel twice last year. Trump has threatened U.S. military action if Iran doesn’t negotiate a new agreement on its nuclear program. TRUMP VINDICATED AS EXPLOSIVE REPORT CONFIRMS IRAN SUPERVISES HOUTHI ‘POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS’ Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said he isn’t interested in talks with a “bullying government,” though Iranian diplomats, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, previously suggested that talks could be possible. Araghchi later toughened his stance, following Khamenei’s lead. The original 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama allowed Iran to enrich uranium up to only 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 661 pounds. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s last report on Iran’s program put its stockpile at 18,286 pounds as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has “undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump envoy doesn’t believe Putin wants to take over Europe
President Donald Trump’s envoy to Russia and Ukraine says he doesn’t believe Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to invade Europe. Envoy Steve Witkoff made the statement during a Sunday morning appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” commenting on Putin’s motives on a “larger scale.” “Now I’ve been asked my opinion about what President Putin’s motives are on a larger scale. And I simply have said that I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe,” Witkoff said. “This is a much different situation than it was in World War II. There was no NATO,” he added. “I take him at his word in this sense.” WHAT’S NEXT IN THE RUSSIA, UKRAINE CEASEFIRE TALKS? The comments come just before Witkoff is set to meet with Russian and Ukrainian delegations for indirect ceasefire talks in Saudia Arabia. Trump’s administration hopes to mediate a larger peace deal. “I think you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that you’ll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire,” he said Sunday. Moscow spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that there are many roadblocks that could prevent a peace deal, however. “We are only at the beginning of this path,” he told reporters this weekend. Russia launched a massive drone attack targeting Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine overnight on Sunday, highlighting just how far there is to go before a peace agreement can be made. MILITARY LEADERS TO MEET ON UK-FRANCE ‘COALITION OF THE WILLING’ PLAN FOR UKRAINE Ukraine’s air force says the Russian attack involved 147 drones, 97 of which were shot down and 25 others failed to reach their targets. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Ukrainians at the scene of the attacks in Kyiv surveyed the damage done to their homes and neighborhoods on Sunday morning. Many were disparaging of the upcoming ceasefire talks, pointing to the burned-out homes destroyed in the drone attack, saying these were more indicative of Russia’s true intentions.
Trump makes endorsement in ‘important’ Wisconsin Supreme Court race
President Donald Trump has issued an endorsement in Wisconsin’s upcoming state Supreme Court race, as the formally bipartisan contest draws mega-donor dollars over its potential national implications. Trump threw his support behind conservative Brad Schimel, the former Wisconsin Attorney General who is currently a Waukesha County judge. Republicans have warned that Schimel’s opponent, Dane County’s Susan Crawford, a liberal considered the Democrats’ preferred candidate, could support efforts to “draw out” two U.S. House Republicans in future redistricting maps. “In the Great State of Wisconsin, a Radical Left Democrat, one who is insistent on bringing hardened CRIMINALS, that we removed to far away places, back into our Country, allowing men into women’s sports, Open Borders, and more, is running against a strong, Common Sense Republican, JUST CALL HIM BRAD, for the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social on Sunday. MUSK PAC STEPS DEEPER INTO WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ELECTION WITH $100 OFFER TO VOTERS “It’s a really big and important race, and could have much to do with the future of our Country. Get out and VOTE, NOW, for the Republican Candidate — BRAD!!!” Trump said. It’s not the first time Trump has voiced support for Schimel. The Wisconsin Supreme Court election is scheduled for April 1, but Trump called supporters to turn out Saturday, as early voting had already begun. “Brad Schimel is running against Radical Left Liberal Susan Crawford, who has repeatedly given child molesters, rapists, women beaters, and domestic abusers ‘light’ sentences,” Trump wrote Saturday on his social media platform. “She is the handpicked voice of the Leftists who are out to destroy your State, and our Country — And if she wins, the Movement to restore our Nation will bypass Wisconsin. All Voters who believe in Common Sense should GET OUT TO VOTE EARLY for Brad Schimel.” “By turning out and VOTING EARLY, you will be helping to Uphold the Rule of Law, Protect our Incredible Police, Secure our Beloved Constitution, Safeguard our Inalienable Rights, and PRESERVE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL,” Trump said. Democrats and Republicans have traded barbs on billionaires’ influence in the election. George Soros, the far-left Hungarian American billionaire, poured $1 million into Wisconsin Democrats’ coffers last month to benefit Crawford’s campaign. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is leading the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has funded two groups that have together spent more than $10 million to promote Schimel, according to the Associated Press. BIG-MONEY WI HIGH COURT RACE WILL HAVE NATIONAL EFFECTS, AS REDISTRICTING, UNIONS, TRANS ISSUES AT STAKE Both sides have been boosted by additional mega-money. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker – whose family owns Hyatt Hotels – dumped $500,000 into WisDems coffers, and other six-figure pitches came from Lynde Uihlein – a Schlitz Beer heiress – LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and the mother of a Google co-founder. Meanwhile, Joe Ricketts – co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and father of Nebraska’s GOP governor – was listed as a top donor to Wisconsin Republicans ahead of the election – as well as Liz Uihlein, a cousin-by-marriage of Lynde Uihlein and president of Uline shipping supply company. Donald Trump Jr. notably held an event for Schimel last week. Republicans are branding Crawford as “dangerously liberal,” citing support from Soros, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as well as activist groups who support gender-transition surgeries for minors and allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports. A source familiar with the race warned of Crawford’s candidacy as part of an ongoing “radical” shift in Wisconsin – both with liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz’ similarly contentious election in 2023 and Gov. Tony Evers’ move to replace “mother” in the state budget dozens of times with “inseminated person.” Republicans also accuse Crawford of signaling a willingness to “legislate from the bench,” citing her past role in challenging the state’s voter ID law and her appearance at a January event hosted by a liberal donor group aiming to unseat Reps. Bryan Steil of Janesville and Derrick Van Orden of Prairie du Chien. In January, Wisconsin Republicans also claimed that Crawford would seek “selling two of Wisconsin seats” after a New York Times report cited donors hoping that Crawford’s win would lead to Steil’s and Van Orden’s ouster. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump gives Harris advice on potential CA governor run
President Donald Trump offered up some advice for former Vice President Kamala Harris if she decides to make a run for governor of California. “One thing she’s gotta do, she’s gotta start doing interviews,” Trump said during an interview with OutKick’s Clay Travis aboard Air Force One. “You can’t get away with both of them, during COVID he did no interviews, and he got away with it because of COVID,” Trump added, referencing former President Joe Biden. The comments come as Harris is “seriously considering” a run for governor of California, according to a report from CBS News, with a person close to the former vice president’s decision-making process telling the outlet that Harris would likely make the decision by the end of summer. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who many consider to be a presidential contender in 2028, is term limited from running again in 2026, opening the door to what is expected to be a large field of potential Democratic candidates to seek the highest office in the dependably progressive state. TRUMP SAYS KEEPING MALES OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS IS ’90-10 ISSUE’ One former Harris advisor told CBS News that the former vice president would be a “great” fit for the job, noting her experience at both the national and state level. “On a national level, what Newsom has been able to do with that job, there is a lot of upside with what she can do as the governor of the fifth-largest economy with her name ID, when our party is looking for national leadership and California looking for good governance – especially at a time when California is going through a lot,” the former advisor said. But Harris also faces questions over how she handled her bid for president, which included accusations that she consistently shied away from doing interviews. KAMALA HARRIS REVEALS TIMETABLE FOR MAKING MAJOR POLITICAL DECISION IN DEEP BLUE STATE After Biden dropped out of the race and immediately endorsed Harris, the vice president went 39 days without sitting down for an interview before appearing in one with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on Aug. 29. As accusations continued to fly that Harris was dodging interviews, she picked up the pace of her appearances with both national and local outlets, but then faced accusations of dodging difficult questions. Perhaps most damning was a reported potential interview with influential podcaster Joe Rogan that fell through, with Rogan suggesting that the Harris team put conditions on questions the host could ask the candidate. Trump famously did appear on Rogan’s podcast, an interview that eventually led to the podcaster endorsing Trump’s bid for the White House.
Ramaswamy lands another key endorsement in Ohio governor race following Trump’s early backing
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy to become governor of Ohio. Ramaswamy, a former 2024 presidential primary candidate who briefly co-chaired President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, formally launched his 2026 gubernatorial campaign on Feb. 24. Trump threw his support behind Ramaswamy’s bid nearly immediately, and now the biotech entrepreneur has received another key endorsement from Moreno, one of the Buckeye State’s two senators. SCHUMER REFUSES TO STEP DOWN AS SENATE DEM LEADER, DEFENDS SHUTDOWN VOTE “Vivek is an America-First outsider and the best person to make Ohio the very best state to live, work, and raise a family,” Moreno said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. “I’m proud to join President Trump in endorsing a bold leader to be the next Governor of Ohio,” he added. Moreno announced that he was endorsing Ramaswamy at an event Saturday night. “The first & sole moral duty of U.S. elected officials is to U.S. citizens,” Ramaswamy wrote on X, sharing a clip of Moreno’s remarks. “Senator Bernie Moreno understands that & doesn’t apologize for it. He’s a star in the U.S. Senate & I’m proud to earn his endorsement tonight. Our party is united in Ohio & we’re not going to squander it.” The other U.S. senator from Ohio, Sen. John Husted, also a Republican, filled Vice President JD Vance’s vacated seat. It was Ramaswamy’s anticipated backing by Trump and strong financing that some political observers believe convinced Husted, formerly Ohio’s lieutenant governor, to accept the Senate appointment instead of launching a primary gubernatorial bid of his own. Husted was previously considered a likely frontrunner for governor. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, viewed as more of an establishment Republican, named Jim Tressell, a popular former Ohio State Buckeyes football coach, to replace Husted as lieutenant governor. Tressell’s future political ambitions remain unclear. SEE THE STAR-STUDDED LIST OF TRUMP ALLIES DESCENDING ON DC TO CHART FURTHER 100-DAY WINS The timing of Trump’s announcement intrigued Ohio political observers, who have watched over the past several years as his decisions to weigh in on key statewide races have gone from days before the election, to months, to now more than a year. Robert Clegg, a longtime Republican campaign advisor in the state, told the Associated Press last month it may be meant as a message for Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, or perhaps even Tressell. “This is awfully early in the game, and I expected an endorsement maybe later this year – as in, like the fall, or even wait until January,” Clegg said. “I wonder if the president doesn’t want to have a knock-down, drag-out primary here in Ohio.” Trump tantalized Republican candidates in Ohio’s bruising 2022 U.S. Senate primary until just 19 days before the election, when he backed Vance and pushed him over the finish line to secure the GOP nomination. Vance went on to win the general election for the Senate seat that fall. A year later, Trump issued his endorsement of Moreno for Senate three months before the primary. Moreno went on to win both the primary and the general election. Trump’s endorsement is expected to help Ramaswamy’s early campaign efforts in a state that’s resoundingly voted for Trump three times. In the run-up to his announcement, Ramaswamy had also lined up key political advisors who had helped Vance with his 2022 Senate bid, as well as the endorsements of two sitting statewide officials and well-known conservatives nationally, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Florida Sen. Rick Scott and Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bernie Sanders gets up during interview after ‘nonsense’ question about AOC
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., got up during a pre-taped ABC “This Week” interview that aired Sunday, and accused Jonathan Karl of asking a “nonsense” question about whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., should run for Senate. Right after calling Ocasio-Cortez “extraordinary,” Sanders would not answer a question about whether he would like to see her in the Senate. Speculation has ramped up about AOC challenging Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a primary after Schumer supported a government funding bill to avoid a partial shutdown. “Right now, we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan. Thanks,” Sanders said as he got up from his seat. Karl told the senator that he had one more question for him. SCHUMER DISMISSES POSSIBLE AOC PRIMARY CHALLENGE, SAYS HE’S FOCUSED ON BRINGING TRUMP’S NUMBERS DOWN “Well, I ask you – you know, you want to do nonsense, do nonsense. No, I don’t want to talk about inside the Beltway stuff. I got 32,000 people,” Sanders said, referencing the crowd that gathered Friday in Denver for an event with AOC. Karl convinced Sanders to come back and sit down. SEN. SANDERS TARGETS TRUMP, MUSK AND DEMOCRATS IN WIDE-RANGING INTERVIEW AHEAD OF RALLY WITH AOC “Well, fine. But I don’t want to talk about this. What was the last question?” Sanders asked. Karl then asked about Sanders’ future in politics. “Right now, I am very proud that the people of the state of Vermont sent me back to the Senate with 63% of the vote,” Sander said. “Right now I’m Vermont’s senator. That’s what I do, and I’m very happy to do it. I am 83 years of age, so. And I’m tired.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether he would encourage Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer. “She’s perfectly capable of making the decision,” he said. “She’s got so many options. She’s got an incredible future. You know, it’s really her decision. But, you know, all I can say is there’s real anger. And there would be a lot of support for her if she decided to do it.”